cobra tools are no more :( ! time to design new tools !

[NBC]

was talking to peter at ceeway the other day, and he said cobra tools have stopped manufacturing

this turns out to suck for me, as i was getting ready to order some stuff from them !

looks like i'm going to design and have made a prototype set of BB taps, handles, and bb facer tools, all going well, i may take them to market

so here's just a picture for now, please critique it, and or list the requirements you may have of such tools, would be extremely helpful at this stage

BB tap handles.jpg

many thanks

NBC

[Eric Estlund]

Are you making the cutters, too?

[Mike Mcdermid]

was talking to peter at ceeway the other day, and he said cobra tools have stopped manufacturing

this turns out to suck for me, as i was getting ready to order some stuff from them !

looks like i'm going to design and have made a prototype set of BB taps, handles, and bb facer tools, all going well, i may take them to market

so here's just a picture for now, please critique it, and or list the requirements you may have of such tools, would be extremely helpful at this stage

BB tap handles.jpg

many thanks

NBC

Speak to Andrew denham he is doing a fair bit of something

[Jonathan]

What will your taps do that park,var,campy,bringheli,hozan, cyclus,silva, strawberry et al won't do? If you can make them in those pretty colors that might be something.

[NBC]

eric,

the toolmakers i'll use will make the taps / cutters to whatever specs i want, maybe even solid carbide taps for use on titanium etc...

jonathan,

the different colours used in the drawings are just to differentiate between the component parts easier,
what i'm planning on doing is to make the handles more adaptable, to use with bb30 / pf30 / bb86/92 etc etc

thanks

NBC

[WadePatton]

...
jonathan,

the different colours used in the ...
NBC

Jon knows that, he's just being snarky a little, but also and-raises a fine point about extant options. Remember his name is a colour after all.

We wish every new enterprise the best! (cuz it can be fukkin difficult)

[Gattonero]

eric,

the toolmakers i'll use will make the taps / cutters to whatever specs i want, maybe even solid carbide taps for use on titanium etc...

jonathan,

the different colours used in the drawings are just to differentiate between the component parts easier,
what i'm planning on doing is to make the handles more adaptable, to use with bb30 / pf30 / bb86/92 etc etc

thanks

NBC

I would be very careful before touching with a hand tool a BB30/PF30/etc shell.
Very often on carbon/composite frames the shell is a CNC machined sleeve, a hand tool can only make it worse.

[NBC]

gattonero,

i think the press fit bottom bracket standard reamers would only ever be something for framebuilding,
i'm not sure i'd dare try improving a factory built frame, like you say, it wouldn't take much to totally ruin one, nor would there be a need unless there was actually a manufacturing defect...

thanks

NBC

[Gattonero]

You're right my friend, too often I see things on the "repair workshop" side, rather than the "framebuilding workshop" side

[Jacques]

eric,

the toolmakers i'll use will make the taps / cutters to whatever specs i want, maybe even solid carbide taps for use on titanium etc...

$$$$$

[NBC]

jacques,

your certainly correct that carbide costs a huge amount, however if the life of them is considerably better in harder materials, then it may well be worth it...

will just see how a prototype set goes for now !

NBC

[MAB]

Mixed messages from Roto who own Cobra. i just ordered a load of new tools from them directly and had them delivered to my father-in-law in the UK, arrived yesterday for me to pick-up at the weekend. Everything seemed to be on stock.

Silva cutters also fit the Campag/Cobra systems

MAB

Martin Bateman

[MAB]

Mixed messages from Roto who own Cobra. i just ordered a load of new tools from them directly and had them delivered to my father-in-law in the UK, arrived yesterday for me to pick-up at the weekend. Everything seemed to be on stock.

Silva cutters also fit the Campag/Cobra systems

MAB

Martin Bateman

Sorry about missing my name out..........

I searched on the Roto/Cobra website and looked at their distributors within Italy and Europe and then the hunt was on using google.it to find a supplier who then acted as a middle man and tools sent direct from the factory. There are several distributors/retailer and all tools seem to be readily available (note: some retailers only deal with Roto branded products). It took a bit of leg work and the linguistic skills of a co-worker of Italian descent to track them down/find one that wanted to sell to me. The price and shipping were reasonable......they are still around and appear to still being manufactured.

Silva cutters also seem to be readily available from my enquires, but I am left with the feeling that they run productions on a campaign basis, so if they are out of stock, it may take a while to get what you want

I guess given the investment that has been made in the Campag system by various shop, mechanics and builders etc, there is still likely to be a reasonable demand for tools that fit that system even if the volume are lower than they were historically

Martin

Martin Bateman